In better days, Scott Steiner would have been in last Sunday's Royal Rumble.

He would have been flexing and punishing. Big Poppa Pump ... The Genetic Freak ... way.

But while two new champions were being crowned at the Rumble ... and names from the past like Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Tatanka and Goldust were being trotted out ... Steiner is content to do his own thing, his own way.

Once one of wrestling's big stars, Big Poppa Pump is doing the independent circuit, helping out the Winnipeg-based AWE next Friday.

Steiner, one of WCW's major stars, was buried quickly in his second WWE stint -- a run that began late in 2002 and mercifully ended in 2004 -- a time in his career that was disturbing to a guy who had not long before beaten guys like Goldberg, Kevin Nash and Sid Vicious.

"I had a feeling they weren't going to do much with me," said Steiner (real name, Scott Rechsteiner) over the phone. "But it wasn't the first time they treated a guy from WCW like that. They seemed to s--t on the guys from WCW.

"My first time out, it was in Madison Square Garden and I got a helluva response. But I'd been up there before and I knew who the snakes were."

After being a "face" much of his career, Steiner suddenly became a heel in WCW.

"Eric (Bischoff) came up to me and asked if I wanted to be a heel," he said. "I was ready for the change. I bleached my black hair blond.

"Eric didn't have much faith in the booking committee so he let me do my own thing ... say whatever popped into my mind."

Steiner is a free agent, doing what he wants, when he wants. In December, he was doing a tour of Italy and South Africa and was asked if he'd do an AWE card.

"It only added two days to my trip. It was a bit of an adjustment, though," he said with a laugh. "It was summer in Africa and freezing cold in Winnipeg."

Steiner, who had six screws put into his foot, with a tendon transfer last year, returned to the wrestling ring in August.

- Edge's WWE title run didn't last long. The strap returned to John Cena's waist at Royal Rumble. And if that wasn't enough, Edge's gal pal Lita was greeted backstage by Jim Duggan's Hoooooooooooooo! Other Rumble results: Gregory Helms won the title in the cruiserweight invitational; Mickie James beat Ashley; The Boogeyman beat JBL; and Kurt Angle beat Mark Henry (The Undertaker is now apparently next in line for a shot at Angle -- at least that's what you'd suspect when you see him generate bolts of lightning that collapse the ring with Angle watching on.

- Vince McMahon has been accused of groping a Boca Raton tanning salon employee. Florida newspapers say the woman says Vince also showed her naughty pictures on his camera phone.

- WWE diva Stacy Keibler scored a perfect 30 from the judges on Dancing With the Stars.

- You know what ... Eddie Guerrero was a great wrestler who died too young. But let the man have his peace. Enough of the dedicating matches to him ... and enough of the ridiculous act of slagging his name.